How is it that that some business owners “don’t believe in advertising”?

I have met many business owners at networking events through the years and I am always amazed during the conversation when an owner tells me they don’t believe in advertising. I look back through the years and many of those companies are out of business, bought out or downsized.

If you are in the “don’t believe in advertising” camp; I have an old message for you:

A man wakes up in the morning after sleeping on an advertised bed, in advertised pajamas, he will brush with advertised toothpaste, wash with advertised soap, shave with an advertised razor, have a breakfast of advertised orange juice, cereal and toast, sip his advertised coffee, put on advertised clothes and glance at his advertised watch.

He will ride to work in his advertised car, sit at an advertised desk, smoke advertised cigarettes and write with an advertised pen. Yet this man hesitates to advertise, saying that advertising does not pay. Finally, when his unadvertised business goes under, he will advertise it for sale.

– Author Unknown

Although this is a cute message, it is unfortunately true in many cases where the owner did not believe in adverting or marketing. Many rely on “word of mouth” to do it for them. But word of mouth can go both ways. If someone has a decent experience with your business that is just what they might say to a few people. But who wants to go to a “decent” restaurant or“decent” dry cleaner? Making a good impression to new prospects and communicating a message of wanting the business is how to build more business. If you are not projecting your image and getting the message out in the marketplace, you are missing the opportunities of attracting new customers. There are just too many competing businesses and products on the market for you to rely on a non-employed individual to make your sale.

I drove past a health food store the other day. I have taken this route about 3-4x per week for a few years. I just noticed this health food store and eagerly went in. I met the owner and while purchasing about $35 worth of items asked if they had just opened. They had been open for 2 years. No advertising, little signage, no promotions and guess what? There was no one in the store. I go to that store now every week and still no one else there but me. Imagine if they had done a large sign out front and I noticed that sign 2 years ago. He would have received about $35/week from just me alone for two years. Just my business alone would have paid for a sign.

Spend a little, get a little, spend a lot and get a lot back in return. Didn’t your mother teach you that?